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Tracking Hurricane Gustav; McCain and Palin Campaign

Aired August 30, 2008 - 16:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

RICHAR LUI, CNN ANCHOR: Take a look at this. This is a tape of Gustav. You don't want to see that. An i-reporter caught the storm as it rolled through Jamaica for us. The storm now headed to the gulf.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR RAY NAGIN, NEW ORLEANS: I am strongly, strongly encouraging everyone in the city to evacuate. Start the process now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: Well, the city of New Orleans takes no chances. We're headed there live for you.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And Gustav is a very dangerous category 4 hurricane now with winds of 145 miles per hour. It's making landfall right now over the island of Cuba. Find out where it's going next, the latest on this dangerous storm is coming up. Richard.

LUI: Thanks, Jacqui.

Plus -- we now know all the players. Next stop - November.

Hello. I'm Richard Lui for you. Hurricane Gustav hasn't even entered the Gulf of Mexico as of yet, but as of this afternoon it is a monster storm already. Category 4, and this time around New Orleans isn't taking any chances. Mayor Ray Nagin says it's time to get out, and that's exactly what people are doing. Oil installations in the Gulf of Mexico are also shutting down production. At this hour, Gustav is lashing western Cuba after killing scores of people on Hispaniola and Jamaica. We want to get you as close as we can to the storm. For that, Morgan Neill is standing by near the Cuba town of La Colomo and we're going to go straight to him right now. What are you seeing there, Morgan?

MORGAN NEILL, CNN CORRESPNDENT: Hi, Richard. Well, what we're seeing in this little town, it's remarkable. Just in recent hours the winds have really picked up here. I want to give you a sense of just how they prepared for this storm. It's essentially a ghost town. I want to give you a little look over here, if we can. Everyone has been evacuated out of this town. The only people we've still seen here are those civil defense officials involved in making sure that there's no one left, that everyone has gotten out. But we have not seen a single person that wasn't either involved with the police or civil defense. Authorities say they believe this area will flood for five kilometers inland. As you can see, the winds have already really started picking up here. Evacuations began early in the afternoon yesterday. Tens of thousands of people either taken to shelters or they've taken refuge with family or friends in safer areas. So that's the situation here. There's been a lot of preparation. And as you said, right now the brunt of this storm over the island of Cuba.

LUI: Morgan, we were talking with you an hour ago, it seems like the winds have certainly picked up just during the last 60 minutes.

NEILL: Absolutely. That's right. We've seen that just in maybe the last 30 minutes. The rain has really started to come in horizontally. The winds have picked up fairly dramatically. We've got a lot of houses here that we can - it's a fairly sure bet they're going to lose their roof tops as this storm continues. We ourselves are not planning on staying here much longer because, like I said, this is an area that is almost certain to flood. Richard.

LUI: Hey, Morgan, a question about infrastructure there in Cuba. In the United States, we have the army corps of engineers. They have put up some walls down there in New Orleans that are about 12 feet tall. What are some of the steps that the government takes there in Cuba to try to mitigate some of the problems that may result from a large hurricane like Gustav?

NEILL: Well, essentially what you have is a nationwide rehearsal before the hurricane season begins. So people are told where they need to go to evacuate, where their shelters will be. And we've seen that in action. I mean, we have seen next to no one left in this little town here, La Coloma. So people are very well informed about where they have to go, but it's not just that. They also take steps to protect their economic resources. This area is where all of those world-famous Cuban cigars, this is where the tobacco comes from here. So they've taken steps to protect economic infrastructure as well as human life, which they repeat over and on state run television and radio is the most important thing. Richard.

LUI: Some really great pictures there as well as information. Morgan Neill live for us there in Cuba as Hurricane Gustav barrels down on that country. Thanks so much for that, Morgan.

OK. From Morgan Neill, we go to Jacqui Jeras. She's going to give us a big picture about what's happening with Hurricane Gustav. And Jacqui, you know, in the last 14 hours, we've seen this hurricane being upgraded three times so far.

JERAS: Yes. It went through a rapid intensification cycles, Richard, moving over very warm waters. And you know, we always tell you about how when a hurricane hits land, it tends to weaken and die down. Unfortunately in this case, we really don't think that's going to happen because the topography is very flat in this area. In addition to that, it's also very narrow. So it's not going to be over land won't be over land very long.

Here you can see the eye of the storm. It's just on the northeastern shore now of the Isle of the Youth. It's going to be over the open water over the next couple of hours. And we think that on the mainland those hurricane-force winds are already, maybe just a couple of hours away. The maximum winds 145 miles per hour. That is a nasty hurricane, a strong category 4. You have to get over 155 to be a category 5. And we think that's a good possibility that this is going to happen in the next 12 to 24 hours. The water temperatures right in here are incredibly warm. And that's why we think this thing could really ramp up with landfall potentially late Monday into Tuesday on the U.S. mainland.

Still keep in mind, well over 100 miles of air on the track this far out in time. So while we see that line pushing west of New Orleans, it still could go on either side. It's certainly possible that this still could even be a Texas storm. Overall, a category 4 has significant storm surge impacts of 13 to 18 feet. And that's going to be one of the big things that we're going to worry about with this storm as it makes U.S. landfall. We'll have more coming up in about 20 minutes or so. And of course, the NHC puts out a new advisory before the top of the hour and we'll bring you that information too. Richard.

LUI: Looking forward to that, Jacqui. Question, Jacqui. I know that cone of uncertainty, it as an average, or it shows all the averages. And I know you're monitoring about a dozen different models. Any possibility of Hurricane Gustav moving away from the United States? Any model showing that for us?

JERAS: I think that's very unlikely at this point, Richard. I think it definitely looks like a U.S. Gulf Coast storm. There's no nothing, no steering currents right now that we see that would bring it far enough west towards Maxicola or eastward, you know, towards over the Bahamas. I just think we're going to be in for it in one or the other.

LUI: All right. Well, one can hope. Jacqui Jeras, thanks you so much for at that.

You know, three years ago today New Orleans languished as the government deterred in response to Hurricane Katrina. There was no shortage of blame there. But in the end there, a lot of people faulted FEMA. No, this time the feds say they're ready since. Kate Bolduan is live with us now at FEMA Headquarters in Washington. And what are you seeing so far today? I know you spoke with David Paulson earlier.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. We spoke straight to the administrator of FEMA himself. And he said pretty much what you're saying, Richard, that they are prepared. They've learned their lesson and they're working in advance, not after the fact, as they said was the problem with Katrina. We did just see and this goes to the point that President Bush has now declared a state of emergency in Mississippi. He's already done so in the states of Louisiana and Texas. They say that's a key step because it frees up federal aid to help in aid and preparation in advance of Gustav come ashore. To that point, there was a briefing here just a short while ago, administrator Paulson said he's very pleased so far with the preparation that the federal government has gotten out there to this point. He also says as we've all been talking that they are - keep watching the storm very closely because they're calling this a very serious storm. But he also says to that point that this agency they we're talking about FEMA, says it's a very different agency than it was three years ago. They've gone through a lot of change. He says people on the ground are going to be able to see that right there in the hurricane zone in that potential path, he says, before, during, and after it makes landfall. Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID PAULISON, FEMA DIRECTOR: This is the big culture change, no question about it. It's a big shift in how we respond to disasters. We are not going to be reactive any more. We're going to be proactive. We have been down there. And we're going to stay down there. We moved everything in ahead of time. You didn't see buses on the ground prior to Katrina. You didn't see ambulances on the ground prior to Katrina. You didn't see this partnership that we have prior to Katrina. And we took those lessons very seriously. A lot of people lost their lives. And we simply don't want that to happen again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: They have been talking about and we have as well about the specifics of what they've learned their lessons and why this is different from Katrina. To really sum it up in a broad sense, they say there's more people at the ready, there's more people on the ground, there are more resources that are preset in order to be ready to move when they're needed. And they say that, as simple as is sounds, that is a big improvement from three years ago. But they're stressing right now that the key at this point, now that we're moving into the time when it may make landfall in the next couple of days. They say the key is evacuation, evacuation, evacuation And people have to get out.

They say there's no reason that anyone should be trying to ride this storm out, especially as we've been saying it's really intensifying and it's moving fast. Richard?

LUI: Kate, in your discussion with the director, did he talk about communication systems? That was a big issue three years ago.

BOLDUAN: Yes. Communication as well, you know, there are a few key words that we're talking about, preparation and the other is communication. They say when we talk about communication we're not just talking about just picking up the phone and calling somebody. We're talking different agencies on different levels of the government just talking to each other. He says already there's been a lot more coordination and communication between the states, the governors are talking to each other. The president who calls the governors of the four states that are in the threatened area already today. He says that is a vast improvement. He says that will continue throughout the next very scary time period that we will be moving into. So that will be an improvement. So, of course, everyone will be watching. We can only hope that these promises really follow through. LUI: The very latest from Kate Bolduan there at FEMA headquarters in Washington. Thanks so much, Kate, for that one.

BOLDUAN: Of course.

LUI: At this hour, tens of thousands of people are flooding out of New Orleans early this afternoon. Mayor Ray Nagin said the time is to leave, and it is now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR RAY NAGIN, NEW ORLEANS: I am strongly, strongly encouraging everyone in the city to evacuate. Start the process now. Go north if you can because the storm may continue to turn a little bit west. So if you can go north, that would be good. My message today is to tourists in addition - it's time for you to leave the city. All tourists, I'm asking you to start the process of evacuating from our city. Do not wait. Start the evacuation process.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: Now, with more for us now on what's happening in New Orleans, reporter Sean Kelly of CNN affiliate WDSU with more on that. Set the scene for us, if you will, Sean.

SEAN KELLY, REPORTER, WDSU: Well, this is the main reason why the mayor has asked people to get on the road right now because it's backed up and it has been backed up this way since about 3:00, 3:30 this morning. At this point, it's at a stop and go pace, and there are hundreds of thousands of people trying to get out of this area. This road, i-10 west in Kenner, Louisiana, we're about ten miles or so outside of New Orleans, this road is taking people out to Houston, Texas, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jackson, Mississippi. So all of these people are using this same roadway out here to get to the same place.

Now, we did talk to some parish officials who told us in about 12 miles from where we're standing the traffic does seem to break up a little bit in an area where it splits off into i-55 and i-10. So these folks can have that to look forward to. But it's a long ways out, and 12 miles is an awfully long distance for these people. I talked to one gentleman earlier who was driving past us. He said it took him more than an hour and a half to drive 15 miles. This is just start of it really because as these evacuation orders go into effect, starting at 4:00 here in Louisiana, these roads are going to be even more jammed because a lot of people waited to the last minute. So, again, they're asking folks to get on the road now. You are going to have to wait in stop and go traffic, it is hot out here. But this situation now is better than they expect it to be a little bit later from now, once those evacuation orders go into effect. Back to you.

LUI: All right. Sean Kelly, live in Louisiana, setting the scene for us in terms of traffic and what's happening there from our affiliate WDSU and of course, the big question is, contra flow, when will they enact that? Sean Kelly, thanks so much for that.

You know, we also have to think about the airports. How will planes get out? How will people and tourists get out of the area of New Orleans? Well, at this hour, planes still are departing that area, but that may not be the case much longer. Joining us now by phone, CNN's Don Lemon. He's in New Orleans' Louie Armstrong Airport with more on that. How does it look like right now, Don?

VOICE OF DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's very interesting here to look at. Actually, I'm in a postal facility right behind the airport. They've set up a makeshift terminal, so to speak with security and everything. They're checking people in here. What they've done and this is according to the Department of Homeland Security and to the folks here in New Orleans, they have chartered airplanes from airlines in order to get as many people out as possible. What they're doing first is sending people by rail and then by bus and then they're getting them here to the airport. They just started coming to the airport just about an hour ago. I'm looking at, in this terminal, hundreds of people. They're lined up outside, getting off of buses. Families from everywhere. When I walk up to them and ask there where they're going, many of them say they have no idea. Some of them are saying it's their first time flying. So I'm watching this makeshift terminal airport set up just behind the airport.

I'm going to talk now to Candy Rogers, she's from Harvey, Louisiana, on the west bank. She has, what, four of your family members here? Tell us what's going on so far for Gustav. You were here for Hurricane Katrina.

LUI: All right. It looks like we're having some communication difficulties at the moment with Don Lemon who is reporting live for us out in New Orleans. He's at the airport, Louis Armstrong Airport where what you might from three years ago was one of the key areas in terms of triage and moving people out of that area. Don Lemon is trying to get us the very latest in terms of what the airport is doing and how it's handling facilities as well as handling the issue of so many people bearing down and trying to get out, not only on the ground as you see here but also by air.

We heard earlier from one of the officials that they're trying to get some military aircraft to get people out. If we can get Don Lemon later in the show, we'll get back to him. Again, some technical difficulties there. We did get a sense of what it is like there.

You know, for anyone who may need this, here is a telephone number to keep handy if you're in that area that Don Lemon is at. It's the Red Cross disaster assistance line. Let me give you that number, it's 1- 800-REDCROSS or 1-800-733-2767. Use that if you need to, certainly.

Now, you know, it is one of the biggest questions of the political campaign today - who is Sarah Palin? And why did Senator McCain pick her to be his running mate?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden, they are hoping to build on the momentum from their party's convention this week. They're touring key battleground states right now. Today their bus made several stops in Ohio, one rally in Dublin starts in about 2 1/2 hours. They head to Michigan tomorrow.

As for the republican ticket, also on the road, Senator John McCain campaigned in Pennsylvania today with his running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. They visited this diner in Pittsburgh with their families in tow right there.

You know, CNN's political team is covering both campaigns. Jim Acosta is with the Obama camp in Ohio, and Dana Bash is in Pennsylvania with the McCain-Palin camp. I'll start with you, Dana. How was the choice of Sarah Palin as McCain's VP, playing with Pennsylvania voters right now?

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, I think I can answer that by maybe telling you how they're trying to sell her to Pennsylvania voters. I'm here at this rally that they both will appear at in about an hour and a half, the warm-up acts are just going on right now. And we've seen a number of female speakers, Richard, and the message has been especially from one woman in particular, you know, they passed over one woman, meaning the democrats passed over Hillary Clinton, but it is our ticket, the republican ticket, that has a woman on it. That is a very interesting and very telling scenario, telling message that you are likely to hear over and over again as the republicans and as John McCain tries to explain and introduce his running mate to the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: John McCain's urgent task is exposing his little-know running mate to battleground state voters. Their first campaign stop, some buckeye shopping. But inside, McCain and his wife went one way. Sarah Palin and family went another. It's a new political pair hoping for the country to accept them as a team. Even before they really know each other. McCain met Palin just six months ago, only once, until meeting again this week before making her running mate. But moments like this are a big reason McCain picked her. Images of a young mother trying to do it all, someone he hopes female voters will relate to. But what about voters who wonder why the man running on experience would pick a small-town Alaskan mayor turned first-term governor? That's what we wanted to know.

SARAH PALIN, REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That would be great. Well, I've appreciated the offices I've had to give me some good experience and to get ready for this job. It's been good experience.

BASH: Talking points down, she got back on McCain's Straight Talk Express. And as they stopped again to get some ice cream and greet more voters, one thing was clear - bringing an unknown running mate around Ohio didn't just bring buzz. It also generated intrigue. It's a bold choice that has many in Washington shaking their heads, but at least on day one turning heads on the trail.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: And what we are going to see here in Washington, Pennsylvania, in about an hour and a half is the second public appearance by these two candidates together. The second chance really that Sarah Palin will have to try to explain to voters and show voters why John McCain picked her. I've not talked, Richard, to a single republican who is not obviously admitting that this is incredibly risky, telling they say of the kind of republican and the person that John McCain is, somebody who likes to take risks and somebody who likes to show that he wants to go against the grain. But they also say that she's somebody who could go either way because he is such an unknown, such an unknown to people across the country but especially when it comes to her ability and knowledge to discuss and to be able to deal with issues on the national stage and international stage. Richard.

LUI: All right. Dana Bash live there with the McCain camp. Thank you so much, Dana.

You know, Obama and Biden are zeroing in on a region that is going to play a critical role in November. America's rust belt. Today they're in Ohio. All right, CNN's Jim Acosta is waiting for a rally in the town of Dublin. Meanwhile, Jim, what is the message of the Obama campaign that's trying to drive home in this key state?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is an appeal straight at working class voters, Richard. Blue collar workers. They're talking about the economy, they're talking about health care. They're talking about jobs. And they are trying to drive home the case time and again that John McCain is another four years of George W. Bush. Barack Obama yesterday, outside of Pittsburgh in Beaver, Pennsylvania, we're expecting it again today here in Dublin, Ohio, that he is going to bring that message home to voters.

He's not spending a whole lot of time talking about Sarah Palin. It's interesting, after his campaign came out with both guns blazing yesterday, essentially painting Sarah Palin as an inexperienced, unprepared vice president, Barack Obama started to dial back that rhetoric, saying he saluted her for her pioneering, trailblazing candidacy. But the Obama campaign has come out with a new TV ad that mentions Sarah Palin and mentions the choice of Sarah Palin, but it does so cautiously. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCE: So while this may be his running mate, America knows this is John McCain's agenda. And we can't afford four more years of the same.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: so there you have it, just a clip from that ad. It talks about how John McCain has made his choice, but it's just more of the same. A lot of republicans would argue with that and say that, while he's picked a woman from Alaska, that's pretty much change in their book. What the Obama campaign is saying is that she falls in line with the policies of the Bush administration by and large across the board, whether it be on social or economic policy. And so the Obama campaign proceeding with caution there, Richard. You notice that they did not go after Sarah Palin on the experience card. They are keeping that close to the vest at this point, as they campaign through these big battleground states over the next few days. Richard.

LUI: And Jim, you and I both know we got about what, 66 more days to go to see how they play that line. All right, Jim Acosta.

ACOSTA: This is the nitty-gritty.

LUI: That's right. Jim Acosta, thank you so much there, with the Obama campaign.

ACOSTA: You got it.

LUI: Appreciate it. Hey, you know, we'll hear more from Senator Barack Obama and John McCain's running mate Sarah Palin. That's coming up in just 30 minutes for you.

Hear from both of the candidates live tonight, two on the trail America votes. That's starts at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. It's a CNN special and you don't want to miss that. Stay around for it.

And just because you're all grown up does not mean you don't need a shot.

Plus, tracking Hurricane Gustav.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: Straight to a news briefing that's ongoing at the moment. Jefferson Parish, they've been speaking about - we've heard from the sheriff. And he was mentioning issues about evacuating the prisons as well as monitoring sex offenders. Let's listen in.

Thank you, sheriff. And on behalf the sheriff and municipal officials, we hope that gives confidence to all of our citizens who do voluntarily or mandatorily evacuate this area that their personal property will be well protected in their absence. We have Dr. (inaudible), a representative of the Jefferson Parish School system. And we'd like her to make any announcements she'd like to make regarding our public education system. Doctor?

Of course, you know we coordinate and consult government for everything when situations like this occur, and it's very difficult to divide a school system into east bank and west bank. So with the anticipation of what could be possible for the west bank, we are officially closing school on Wednesday also. We will be closed in Jefferson Parish Public School system on Wednesday. We also have scheduled a tentative meeting on Friday to evaluate damage and to decide how to move forward. If any action needs to be taken, our September 3rd board meeting which would have been Wednesday is now September 10th. So those are the changes for us, and we will keep in constant contact with government.

AARON BROUSSARD, PRES., JEFFERSON PARISH: Thank you, Doctor.

I want to emphasize before we take questions, this is an ever- changing, ever-evolving situation. Every day different parishes make different decisions about how this storm is going to impact them, and they are doing it methodically, but we're in sync.

I talked to Kevin Davis (ph) today and the north shore representatives and given them a heads-up as to where we're going. We've had discussions with New Orleans. We know where they're going. They know where we're going.

We're going to continue to manage this situation of emergency planning and the implementing of our emergency plans in sync so that the citizens feel comfortable that everything that can be done is being done on behalf of not only the individual cities and the parishes, but also on behalf of the region.

However, the situation continues to change, and here in Jefferson Parish as well as in other parishes, every time a new advisory comes out, we're going to study the impact of it. And I can assure you this won't be our last press conference talking about what we'll be asking our citizens to consider.

LUI: As you can tell, we're watching all of the live information coming out of the news briefings in Louisiana. Just now, this is Jefferson Parish and the leaders there saying that they're going to close school in that area. And we'll continue to stay on top of the information so that you know the latest if you're in that area or you have family or loved ones there.

You know, they are taking no chances. Workers are leaving oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of an extremely dangerous storm that we've been telling you about. What, if anything, is that going to do to gas prices?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Plus, Hurricane Gustav has reached Category 4 status. Will it go to a 5? We'll try to answer that question right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: All eyes are on the Gulf Coast, and they are fixed on that picture wondering, will it drift east? Will it drift west? In Grand Isle, Louisiana, this is not the first hurricane they've stared down. CNN senior business correspondent Ali Velshi is in Grand Isle on the Gulf Coast, that's about 80 miles south of New Orleans. He joins us now by phone.

And, Ali, so what have you seen so far in the time that you've been down there, at least a couple of days?

ALI VELSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, listen, Richard, we've been in Grand Isle for more than 24 hours, almost 36 hours now, and it has become a ghost town. This is one of the headquarters for Gulf offshore operations, so the oil workers have been evacuated from this part of the Gulf Coast. They have secured those rigs and offshore platforms.

And you know, just for people who don't know what happens, they can evacuate the offshore rigs and platforms, and there are almost -- well, there are more than 3,500 of them in the Gulf of Mexico, without shutting those wells down completely so that if like Katrina, those rigs and platforms get damaged or destroyed, no oil goes into the Gulf of Mexico.

As you and I have discussed, Richard, the issue isn't if that stays offline for a few days. That's OK. We can manage that. The issue is what gets damaged by the storm as it comes in. Now, we have had an update from Shell which says in the New Orleans/Baton Rouge/Lafayette/Lake Charles area around here, because of all the people leaving this area, there are outages and shortages in about 10 percent of the gas stations.

They are continuing to try to get gas there. We've seen a spike in gas prices here, we've seen an increase in gas prices across the country for the last two days. There are -- this place that I'm in, in Grand Isle, it has become a ghost town. There are not many people here. It's under evacuation.

I talked to Dean Blanchard, who lives here, who's not as worried, although they are getting a bit concerned about the intensity of the storm. He was giving me a bit of a weather forecast, he was telling me he thinks it will weaken before it hits land. Listen to what he told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN BLANCHARD, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: We know it's going to pick up speed, but then we think it's going to decrease when it gets closer to land. That's typically what has been happening. You have got that hot water going through the middle of the Gulf, but (INAUDIBLE) it takes off and once it gets closer to land, thank God we've been having a lot of north wind over here.

And it's abnormally cool for this time of year, and we're hoping that will slow it down a little bit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI: And as our own severe weather people have been telling us, Richard, there is some solace in the fact that the Gulf of Mexico waters are not as hot as they were when Katrina came in, but there's a lot of people that don't take my chances, particularly the oil industry.

They've evacuated every rig and platform that is potentially in the path of this storm. Oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico that are in the path of this storm have been shut down. And for now, it has become pretty quiet in southern Louisiana -- Richard.

LUI: All right. Ali Velshi with the very latest. And boy, we certainly do hope that those gas prices that have already been spiking within the last year don't go up because of this. Thanks so much, Ali.

We're now going to go over to Jacqui Jeras in the weather center. She'll give us the very latest in what she's seeing.

Jacqui, in the last 12 hours, boy, a lot of action, huh?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. There certainly has. Intensification, of course, has been the main thing that we've really seen that ramp-up, 145 miles per hour now, making it a Category 4 storm.

The other thing that we've noticed too is that the eye of the storm has pushed a little farther north and east than the official forecast track. This may just be a little wobble as tropical systems tend to do, but it's something we'll be watching really closely and we'll have to wait and see.

The National Hurricane Center is going to issue a track here coming up very shortly and we'll see if they've had any nudges. This is also the latest information from the hurricane hunters. They're in the storm right now. This is their present location. The latest transmission just a few minutes old, they're flying up there at about 10,000 feet and seeing winds around 85 miles per hour.

The information that they get from these flights also gives us more accurate information of where the storm is and how strong it is and we know that it's getting very close to Cuba, the mainland, right know, probably just a few hours away of starting to see that impact of hurricane-force winds. And there you can see where Havana is.

So we'll bring that update to you as soon as it comes in -- Richard.

LUI: OK. Jacqui Jeras with the latest, thank you, Jacqui. And we'll stop by and see what the latest information is from you in just a little bit.

All right. We're now going to go to our own Jacqui -- not Jacqui Jeras, I'm sorry to say. Sorry, Jacqui. But Dana Bash, who is watching the very latest on what is happening in terms of the McCain camp and how they're reacting to what is happening there in the Gulf Coast.

Any comments being made by John McCain there or Palin?

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, he...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: Hurricane Gustav now a Category 4 hurricane. As we look at the issues and how it might affect many people down in New Orleans, we also take a look at the political ramifications. We go to Dana Bash.

What sort of changes in the Republican National Convention have resulted because of Hurricane Gustav?

BASH: Well, no changes yet, Richard, but there are some serious changes under consideration. They are monitoring this hurricane, as you can imagine, as much as anybody else because the convention is supposed to kick off in Minneapolis on Monday. And CNN has learned from a McCain source inside the McCain campaign that they are actually considering turning the convention into a service event if it is as bad as it seems to be, as we've been reporting on all day long today.

What they would potentially do is basically scrap the program -- potentially do, scrap the program and turn it into kind of a massive telethon, I'm told by this source, to try to raise money for the Red Cross and other agencies that would help out with the hurricane.

What the source said is that Senator McCain understands the importance of not having a party while this is going on and understands and has been pushing the idea of service, obviously, along the campaign trail and pushing the idea that the administration really messed up, for lack of a better term, after Hurricane Katrina. And so that is one of the many reasons they are taking this so seriously.

Now, that is sort of the worst-case scenario I think coming out of the McCain campaign. Other Republican officials in Minneapolis who are preparing for this tell our John King that there are other contingency plans in place if this hurricane is not as bad as it is.

But regardless, it seems as though they are discussing changing the lineup. We already know that several of the governors from states who are going to be affected by this hurricane are not going to come. So a lot of changes in place, a lot of changes under way, a lot of balls in the air.

And I can also tell you that the McCain campaign manager, Rick Davis, is on his way to Minneapolis to have some conversations with planners there to just figure out exactly what the best way to go will be. But obviously a lot of that depends on what happens with this hurricane in the next 24 to 48 hours. Back to you.

LUI: OK. Hurricane Gustav. Thank you very much, Dana Bash there, on some of the effects on the Republican National Convention.

Gustav is following in deadly footsteps. Almost three years almost to the day, Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, altering lives forever. Our Anderson Cooper chronicled the destruction during Katrina and has this look back for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Three years since the storm. The memories still burn.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everywhere we look, absolutely under water.

COOPER: This city, this Gulf washed away by the water. In Waveland, homes vanished, tears remained. Rescuers searched for survivors. They found bodies instead.

(on camera): They've left some of the windows open so the house would at least kind of air out a little bit. But the smell is actually just getting worse and it's spreading around the neighborhood.

(voice-over): In New Orleans, they waded. They waited, lied to, let down, promised help. They lost hope.

CHILDREN: We want help! We want help!

COOPER: These were our neighbors, our countrymen, so long ignored, forgotten once again. In water-soaked streets, dogs cried for help, bodies lay abandoned.

(on camera): You do find bodies just floating in the water. There's a man over there who is dead on the top of a car.

(voice-over): Thank goodness for the cops and firemen. Most stayed, did their jobs. Thank goodness for the coast guard who worked night and day.

(on camera): Rescuers going down, we believe there may be at least two more people in the house.

(voice-over): Slowly the water receded. Slowly life returned. They searched for bodies. They asked for aid. Months passed, then years. Thank goodness for the volunteers, church groups and charities, students and strangers. We owe them so much.

Three years since the storm, much work still remains. This city is strong. Life has returned. But the past is alive, and the memories still burn.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LUI: All right. Anderson Cooper with that.

A protest in Washington yesterday focused attention on the plight of many Katrina survivors still living if FEMA-issued trailers. One of the organizers was Yasmin Gabriel. She is now a second-year law student at Howard University, but she as way student in New Orleans when Katrina hit. She produced a documentary thereafter about the storm's impact on her and other students. We've spoken to her several times in the past. She joins me live in Washington with the very latest.

And, Yasmin, take us back, because the last time we spoke to you was a year ago. What has changed?

YASMIN GABRIEL, DISPLACED NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: Well, the Save New Orleans is still in (INAUDIBLE). We need so much help down in the Gulf Coast. So yesterday we protested in front of FEMA to shed light on the current state of housing and education in the city of New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast.

LUI: And how will you spend the money that you are raising as part of what you are doing?

GABRIEL: Well, mostly I focus on college students, trying to get them their books back and going back to school and doing more counseling about your student loans and just basically how to get back in school on a collegiate level.

LUI: You know, Yasmin, you produced a documentary, right? Tell us about that, for those who have not seen it. GABRIEL: The documentary gives a chronological exposure of the college students' experience post-Hurricane Katrina, how we lost our schoolbooks. We didn't have any transcripts and how the federal government basically left us on our own to figure out how we were going to go back to school.

We're showing right now a clip from Spellman College where we showed the documentary. And I met so many young people who said, Yasmin, I still haven't healed from Hurricane Katrina and now I'm back in school. I'm clinically depressed and my grades are dropping.

So I really wanted to shed light on the young people who will be the future leaders of America.

LUI: Now how do you feel talking about that depressed feeling that some of the college students that you have spoken have expressed to you now that you've heard the news of Hurricane Gustav that is heading towards New Orleans again? How does that make you feel?

GABRIEL: I'm very nervous. I have a lot of family members who are still down there, trying to figure out how they can leave. Everyone has a sense of urgency. No one is going to really stay in New Orleans this time that I've been talking to. They're just really trying to wait -- you know, leave home, wait for the traffic to die down, getting on flights, most of them are coming here to D.C.

LUI: All right. Yasmin Gabriel, thank you so much for stopping by and telling us about...

GABRIEL: Thank you very much.

LUI: ... about how you've been doing since you had that documentary as well as your volunteer work. We really do appreciate it.

GABRIEL: Thank you, Richard, very much.

LUI: The documentary, but the way, has been the catalyst for a movement to get young people involved in New Orleans' resurgence. If you'd like to learn more, go to myspace.com/upgradeneworleans, all one word, like you see here on your screen.

And if you'd like to contribute to the relief agencies that are already on the ground helping Hurricane Gustav victims in the Caribbean, you can go to cnn.com/impactyourworld.

All right. Jacqui Jeras will be back after this break. She will tell us the very latest in terms of what is happening with Hurricane Gustav.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: All right. Got some breaking news for you right now. As we watch of course all the systems that are brewing there in the Atlantic, we'll go over now to Jacqui Jeras who is in the weather center.

And, Jacqui, what are you seeing right now?

JERAS: Well, that the 5:00 advisory just came in. And we have got two important things that you need to know. First of all, a hurricane watch just has been issued for portions of the northern Gulf Coast. And this is from High Island, Texas, if you're not familiar with that area, it's just to the east of Galveston. So the watch from High Island, Texas, to the Alabama/Florida state line.

This includes the city of New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. In addition to that, a tropical storm watch has been issued along the panhandle of Florida from the Florida/Alabama state line as well. So the watches are being posted now. This means that hurricane conditions are possible in the next 36 hours.

On top of that, notice the latest here on your statistics. Winds 150 miles per hour, so that is up, Richard, from our last advisory. It was at 145, so we're now up to 150. It's still a Category 4 storm. You've got to get over 155 for it to be considered the granddaddy of all storms, a Category 5.

So Gustav continues to strengthen. It's starting to pull off the northern coast of the Island of Youth. And I'm just going to go through my graphics in advance here, because this should automatically update our track. Yes, that looks like that has been updated. So let's go ahead and play it out. You'll watch it with me and see what kind of changes, if any, we have.

It looks like our guidance is staying the same there. And you can see a very powerful hurricane making landfall probably late on Monday.

LUI: Hey, Jacqui, you know, one of the changes with that new information that went into that graphic is a Category 4 looks to be closer to landfall than it was before in terms of being close to the Gulf Coast there.

JERAS: You mean in timing?

LUI: Yes. Before the Category 1, which is the model we saw before, was close to the Gulf Coast. Now farther in and a 4 getting closer to the coast.

JERAS: Yes. Well, I think it's going to be a major hurricane when this thing makes landfall. I think that's the most likely scenario right now, Richard. I think that's certainly what residents need to be prepared for as well. There's not a lot to slow this storm down.

Where you see the big 5 there on our map, that's near where we call the Loop Current, and that is a body -- or just like a little eddy, almost, of some very warm, very deep water. And so that's why we think we're going to see some real significant intensification there.

But it's real tough to keep that Category 5 status for too long of a period of time. So we do think it will weaken it down. Plus, on top of that, the water temperatures in the northern Gulf, while they're plenty warm, and certainly can support a hurricane, we don't think it will be enough to sustain that big number 5 on there. LUI: All right. Jacqui Jeras, with the latest information, that new bulletin and she got it for us right there. Jacqui, thank you so much.

I'm Richard Lui, in for Fredricka Whitfield. Rick Sanchez is up next with live reports from all along the Gulf Coast where thousands are bracing for what is still a Category 4 hurricane with faster winds the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM after a break.